A 19-Year-Old Who Spent Her Childhood In Foster Care Was Finally Adopted By A Former Caseworker — 'The Only Thing I Wanted Since I Was A Kid Has Finally Come True'

Monyay Peskaledis, a 19-year-old Florida teenager, finally found her forever family in her mentor and former caseworker after spending most of her life in the foster care system.

The teen was adopted by her former caseworker, Leah Paskalides.

The teen was first placed in a group home at 11 years old and spent the rest of her childhood and teenage years in the system. When she turned 13, Monyay met Leah, who worked for the Safe Children Coalition, a local nonprofit organization that helps children in Florida's foster care system, and the two immediately formed a close bond.

However, because of her job and the conflict of interest it created, Leah was unable to adopt Monyay. 

"I met her, and I saw a lot of myself in her," Leah told Good Morning America. "Once she trusted me, we just clicked."

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The two remained close until the teen finally aged out of the system.

Monyay aged out of the foster care system in 2020 after turning 18 and admitted that it was a challenging adjustment.

"It was really hard going from being in a group home with an adult to help you to immediately being by yourself without an adult to help," Monyay admitted. "It was lonely."

Yet, unbeknownst to her, Leah still wanted to make the pair an official family. She got the idea to adopt Monyay after seeing a documentary about a man who'd been adopted as an adult. 

Leah presented the idea to Monyay, and within six months, they made it happen.

"It was important to me that she knew that she was wanted by somebody, that somebody loved her," Leah told KSTU. "I could say that as many times as I want, but actions speak louder than words." 

In an emotional ceremony, a judge made their family bond official.

Monyay has since happily changed her last name to match Leah's, and even received a new birth certificate.

"She now refers to her adoption day as her birthday, so she has two birthdays each year," Leah shared. "We were always close, but now when she calls me, it means something even more to her. It’s legal, and that means the world to her because for so long she didn’t really have a mom."

The 19-year-old expressed her disbelief over finally being able to have a family after spending so many years in foster care. 

"I still can't really describe the way I felt [at] that moment. It was beyond words," she said. "That's the one thing I've wanted my entire life, to have a mom. I never expected to be adopted, and here I am. [Leah] never gave up on me."

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It's incredibly hard for teenagers to be adopted from the foster care system.

Both Monyay and Leah are now dedicated to encouraging others to consider adopting older kids and teens in the foster care system because, unlike babies and adolescents, they're often overlooked. 

Data shows that children in the foster care system who are below the age of 9 tend to be adopted more frequently, and the average age of adoption is 6 years old.

Approximately 73% of teens exiting foster care are not adopted. Most teens who leave the system are either reunited with their biological families, placed with legal guardians, or aged out of care without being adopted.

While speaking with ABC News, Brena Slater, the president and CEO of Safe Children Coalition described Monyay's adoption by Leah as being "very rare." Both because of Leah's work as a social worker and Monyay's age. 

"Unfortunately, a lot of teens turn 18 when they’re in high school, and a lot of kids who turn 18 aren’t ready to be on their own," Slater said. "We see the difference when we have a teenager and find a foster family who will take them in, so we really want people to know just how important it is to foster and to adopt teens."

"And we want teens to know that someone is always there, even if it’s not their biological parents," she added. "We want all teens to have that sense of security."

It's heartwarming to see that not only was Monyay able to finally find a loving and supportive family, but that the mother-daughter duo is advocating on behalf of other struggling teens in the foster care system.

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Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.